After July 8, Pay This Amount...
?>
Download eBooks and Software
 Fully Verified Winning System Since 1999 & Vip Club Picks!
Winning Sports Picks & Predictions By Zcodesystem.com - Nhl, Nfl, Mlb And Nba Predictions And Picks From The Best Experts In The Industry + Fully Automated System Proven Since 1999 Awesome Conversion 5.26% And Recurring 60% Commission!
The Lotto Black Book
This Radical Approach To An Online Sales Letter Converts In The 3-5%... We've Never Seen Something Like This Since The Early Days Of 2004-2005 And I'm Sure You Haven't Either... We Convert More Than Our Competition And We Pay Out More... Try It!
Paleo Recipe Book - Brand New Paleo Cookbook
Brand New Paleo Diet Cookbook With Over 370 Recipes. Pays 70% Commission On This High-quality, Easy To Sell Product. Get Banners And Promotional Material At Http://paleorecipebook.com/affiliates.html
Articles > Business and FinanceAfter July 8, Pay This Amount...
by: Robert F. Abbott
You undoubtedly go through this, too. A few times a month you gather up the bills coming due and write checks or pay them online.
As I was doing some bill payments recently, I noticed the tactic one company uses to get its customers to pay by the due date. It was very simple: "If you pay by this date, pay this amount. If you pay after this date, pay this amount."
Now, this was a small bill so the penalty for paying beyond the due date was just a matter of a few pennies, but still, I got the point.
While other companies might list the late charge in percentage terms, this one wisely adopted the dollars and cents approach.
We see here a case in which a company crosses the sometimes critical divide between the abstract and the concrete. Listing a percentage fee shows the penalty in abstract terms. Listing it in dollars and cents shows the penalty in concrete terms.
I don't know about you, but I'm certainly more sensitive to the dollars and cents than to a percentage, if I'm late making my payment. How about you: would you feel more motivated to pay on time if it costs $1.17 or if it costs 2.5% per month?
As communicators, we should remain alert to the differences between the abstract and the concrete. It's sometimes a subtle difference, but a critical one.
Here are a couple of applications of these differences:
When you give instructions, try to work on the concrete side of the abstract-concrete continuum. For example, if you ask a subordinate to carry out a task, then provide details and specifics. In many cases, this might be summed up with four of the five Ws: Who, What, Where, and When, as well as How (we'll get the fifth W in a moment).
Or, if you're selling, aim to be more concrete than abstract. For example, I've been writing short ads for my book about newsletters. In writing them, I've found that "Communicating for Results" isn't enough by itself -- I need to spell out what those results might be (such as more sales, greater employee retention, and better membership renewal ratios).
On the other hand, if you want to provide context, you might find it more productive to move more toward the abstract end of the abstract-concrete continuum. For example, if you're trying to explain a new strategic direction for your organization, you might refer to conceptual issues like positioning and competitive advantage. This, you'll find, is where Why? -- the fifth W -- fits rather nicely.
In a sales situation, you may want to get a prospect to envision a new and better future. In that case, too, you would emphasize the abstract, rather than the concrete. For example, if you're selling a retirement fund, you would likely emphasize the idea of spending more time on tropical islands or with family, rather than going into actuarial details.
Finally, remember that abstract and concrete represent two ends of a continuum, and you can choose any point between them.
About The Author
Robert F. Abbott, the author of A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, writes about business communication issues in the free online ezine, Abbott's Communication Letter http://www.abbottletter.com
abbottr@managersguide.com
|
?>
News on Business and Finance
The Business Finance Store Discusses Balance Transfer Cards for Small Businesses
The Business Finance Store discusses some things to consider when seeking out a balance transfer card to consolidate business debt.Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) May 17, 2012 Thirty-six percent of American small business owners are very or somewhat uncomfortable with the amount of money their business owes, according to the April Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index poll. Credit cards have become one ... Business calendar for May 21-25
Australian business and finance calendar for May 21-25. Dimon's $23 million payday isn't the problem
Here we go again. The perennial question of: "Would you rather own shares in a major financial conglomerate or manage one?" comes up as JPMorgan Chase loses more than $2 billion in trading bets. The Business Finance Store Highlights Ten Declining Industries
The Business Finance Store highlights ten industries that are expected to have a declining life cycle.Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) May 16, 2012 A recent report by IBISWorld shows that many industries continue to decline despite improvements in the economy, the Orange County Register reported. The report points to some industries that are declining at a fast rate. For a small business owner or ... You're hired! Islamic finance seeks own Apprentice
LONDON (Reuters) - Islamic finance is on the hunt for an apprentice. Dome Advisory, an international sharia advisory firm is launching a nationwide search for talented students at UK universities who can come up with a business plan or research idea that will aid the development of Islamic finance. "I want the best brains...We need new blood in the industry and they don't haveto be Muslim ...
|
